MINIATURE GARDENS - Judy Ziemba, GCI Horticulture Chairman

Miniature gardens are not a new idea. The Japanese designers developed 'Hako Niwa' or dish gardens to give prospective clients a miniaturized view of the proposed garden and bonsai is the age-old art of dwarf plantings including groves of trees. The Victorians discovered the pleasures of growing plants in Wardian cases and more recent times we use bottle gardens or terrariums or miniature conservatories. The recent popularity of trough gardens, fairy gardens, model train gardens and even dollhouse gardens aids the gardener who wishes to specialize but does not wish to expand the gardening area and appreciate that these gardens can be adapted to indoors.

The first consideration is the type of garden desired. You need not limit yourself to tropics or desert. With increased availability of low power fountain pumps, consider developing bog gardens or landscapes with streams or small waterfalls. If succulents seem too stark, think of a rock garden.

In planning a miniature garden, consider carefully the container or waterproof box in which to house the design. Whether you choose a shallow plastic storage container or an elegant leaded glass table top conservatory, you need something waterproof to protect your furnishings. The most important design principles to observe will be scale and proportion. Begin small and as you scour the craft stores and dollhouse shops for accessories, you can expand. There is nothing which says the display must last for more than a month or two. Similar to the Christmas villages many of us set up, it can be disassembled when the real gardening season begins. Possibly a sand meditation garden with small rocks, dwarf tree and tiny rake would be a good beginning.

The garden can stand on its own or enhance some other item like a dollhouse or city street or "N" gauge railroad. Before adding plants, you may want to do a bit of hardscape development in laying out pool, path, street, wall, stream or designate areas for lawn, flower beds, fences, benches, beach, patio areas etc. Choosing plants can be a challenge. You need to think in terms of trees, shrubs and ground covers. Of course miniature varieties are ideal but many tiny-leaved plants can be used with vigilant pruning. Included in this group, the gardener could consider pileas, miniature ferns, coleus, trandescantias, thymes, mosses, baby tears and similar. Adapt tiny pots of rye or wheat grass to mimic outdoor grasses. Much of the pleasure is in the process, as well as the finished product which will really never have to be completed. A simple clay saucer planted with wheat grass trimmed with scissors with seasonal figurines can be most enjoyable. The whole landscape can be rearranged at will if you realize a forest of ficus trees or germander can be moved with a small trowel. If a tabletop scale is being used, some plants probably can be left in their pots to tuck among the rocks and hills. In a smaller container, it is best to place a layer of gravel, sprinkle some charcoal and then add the potting medium chosen according to the plant material used such as orchids, succulents or traditional tropicals. If the scale allows, mini roses can be included and possibly a tiny vine on a fence or trellis. Some plants can be purchased to study as bonsai specimens to incorporate in a future landscapes. Experiment with pruning or use rooted cuttings of tiny ivies and snip them to resemble shrubs or allow to develop as a ground cover.

If your landscape is in a closed container, monitor watering schedule carefully to avoid rot. Opening the container and allowing fresh air once a week is a good idea. Bright light is ideal but not full sun. You may find some plants do not have high light requirements. Fertilizers usually cause the plants to outgrow their surroundings more quickly so feeding should be minimal. Gardening does not have to include sore knees and an aching back.